It’s that time of year for country fairs where people get to show off what they grew, raised or created, and have their big animal or vehicle pull heavy weights. It’s also a way to celebrate the end of summer, which seemed to drop the curtain recently when temps fell significantly overnight. That’s what we did last weekend when we attended the Heath Fair.
For oh-so-many years after we moved to Worthington in 1981, going to the Cummington Fair at the end of August was a family tradition. During the early years, our kids were, well, just little kids. The last two of the six, Zack and Julia, who were born after our move, were babies during their first times. We treated them to French fries, fried dough, and lemonade — and, of course, tickets for rides. We toured the fairgrounds to see the farm animals and exhibits, and watched the vaudeville show. We saw so many people we knew.
By the way, we went to the Cummington Fair on the day after we were married in 1982, so we say that’s where we spent our honeymoon — with four kids.
When we moved to Taos, New Mexico in 2006, I discovered that it, too, had a country fair in late August. When I became editor-in-chief of The Taos News, I discovered one of my responsibilities was to bid for an animal at the junior livestock auction.
I recall the first year sitting in the stands as the 4-H kids took their turn leading the animals they raised into the ring: cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry, rabbits, and goats. The goats got my attention. My grandfather on my mother’s side raised them. That was the milk I drank as a young girl. Besides, they are intelligent and curious animals.
After I signed in, I was given a card to raise to get the auctioneer’s attention. I knew what my budget was, so I had to stick to that. I was relieved when I succeeded. Then I got to tell the kid they could keep the animal.
For several years, I had my goat streak going. I recall one goat was retired to Taos Ski Valley to guard a flock of sheep. The boy who owned the animal brought a plate of cookies to the newsroom as a gift. Besides goats, I won a goose, a gigantic chicken, and a duck who was that year’s grand champion.
As for the Cummington Fair, at some point it added a truck pull and demolition derby — which inspired a scene in Working the Beat, the fifth book in my Isabel Long Mystery Series. Actually, a country fair has an important part of this book’s story. Isabel Long stumbles onto her next case at one when she is approached by a woman whose grandson’s body was found four years earlier in a ravine behind the demolition derby. This is fiction, folks.
Here is a scene about the demolition derby’s finale. Annette Waters’ car is appropriately named Wild Woman. Her chief competitor is Gary Beaumont’s Bad Ol’ Boys — there’s an interesting history between those two. Then there is Road Hog. Isabel is at the demolition derby on a night out with Jack.
Jack is back just in time for the three remaining cars to enter the pit: Wild Woman, Bad Ol’ Boys, and Road Hog, the winner in the second heat. Each driver gets a cheer from the crowd, who I bet is anticipating a good showdown in the finale.
“Who are you rootin’ for, Isabel,” Jack says with a chuckle.
“Annette, definitely. You?”
“Same.”
And with a blast of that airhorn, the cars start moving. It’s clear Annette and Gary plan to take out Road Hog right away as they circle the car. They want to go head to head, or in this case, rear end to rear end of their vehicles. As I expected, Road Hog is a goner about ten minutes into the heat. The driver is stuck in the middle of the pit, watching as Wild Woman and Bad Ol’ Boys circle him. His car is off limits now that he’s hoisted the surrender flag, but he has the best view of anyone about what’s happening down there. Round and round the two cars go. Both are driving backwards really fast, something I could never do, Jack reminds me. Annette tries to take out a rear tire on Gary’s vehicle, but he speeds away in time.
“That was a close one,” the announcer says. “Bad Ol’ Boys better watch out for Wild Woman it they know what’s good for ’em.”
Everyone around us are laughing like crazy fools.
It was a close call, and now, the two of them play cat and mouse, nicking each other’s cars although not enough to do either of them in. Now, both cars spin around and speed toward each other. Many in the crowd rise to their feet as if that would get them closer to the action.
And then, wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am, Wild Woman and Bad Ol’ Boys hit each other head on, and from the impact, it’s clear that’s the end of the road for both vehicles. The crowd goes nuts. I get to my feet and join them.
“What do you think?” I ask Jack.
“Not a bad way to finish,” he says. “I wonder if they planned it that way.”
“Don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
“I bet you will, Isabel.”